Critic Reviews

For years now I have been listening to old school gamers whine and moan about the state of games today. There's not enough representation of what made games so good back in the days of Power Gloves and Super Scopes. With Cannon Spike Capcom has given us old school game play, yet brought the game into the 21st century.

Most people believe that getting an arcade translation for their consoles ensures a great value. And for most arcade ports to the Dreamcast, this has been true, only because of the additional extras that add more replay value. However, if an arcade is perfectly ported to a console without any additional modes, the replay value of that arcade game is limited. Such is the only problem with Cannon Spike, a port of the arcade game to the Dreamcast. Cannon Spike is absolutely fun, with the solid shooting gameplay on level with Metal Slug... it's just too bad there aren't any bonus options.

Capcom’s Canon Spike is the type of game which makes you want to curl-up to an old school NES and relive the glory days of the shooter. Once the disc has been loaded, you’re given that prototypical shooter menu—baby, child, very easy, easy, normal, hard, very hard—the ranges of which don’t necessarily offer more to the storyline or the overall length, but more to the game’s ability to be played over and over and over ad infinitum. Part of this is achieved by bringing together some of the coolest Capcom characters such as Cammy, Mega Man, and Arthur (of course, he’s decked out in some kind of super armor, but oh well).

A lot of video game publishers have been jumping into the "value" market that's emerged as the game market has diversified; the PlayStation has lately seen its share of $9.99 titles, for instance. Capcom is not one to miss out on such a lucrative sales opportunity, and to that end it's bringing us the $29.99 Dreamcast shooter Cannon Spike. The game proves once again that you get what you pay for, which is, for the most part, a positive point.

From the very first level, to the very last boss, every area of Cannon Spike shines. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay top-notch, and the controls are tight as a drum. If Capcom and Psikyo had spent time in making the levels longer, or adding a few extra stages, they would've crafted one of the best shooters around. As it is, Cannon Spike can be summed up like this: Short but sweet.

Sometimes it’s nice to just put aside the big, fancy, epic quest, the sophisticated and even fancier gameplay, to just have a character to move around the screen who can blast the tar out of bad guys while taking a few swings at them for good measure. That’s just how it is in Cannon Spike for the Dreamcast. Players can just sit down, hit the on button, and dive right in, no problem. It’s a simple, brief experience, but definitely makes for a nice ride.

While it’s woefully short, and single-minded in its purpose, Cannon Spike is a perfect example of adrenaline charged gameplay and non-stop action. Aside from the slightly repetitive sound effects, this title meshes together into a tight package that looks and plays quite well. The non-stop action and paper thin plot may not appeal to all, but it lets players get right into the action with a very easy to handle learning curve. In this case, however, easy to learn gameplay equates directly to a lack of depth, and the title’s longevity suffers as a result. While it’s fascinating to experiment with the unique fighting style of each character, the limited number of levels and even more limited combat options ensure that Cannon Spike won’t be the subject of marathon gaming stories. Instead, this budget title will have to settle with its role as a fun game when taken in small doses.

Overall, Cannon Spike is as deep as any straight-port arcade game is and for that fact alone at full price it wouldn't be worth touching. With the price just one penny below twenty notes and the fact that it offers some straight up, quick paced shooting and fighting action makes the retail price palatable. A good, if not great or remarkable game; if you like the arcades and quick thrill games of this nature, give it a try. You might just like it. I did.

Cannon Spike was a long awaited title which when brought home really didn’t live up to its arcade roots. The difficulty on any level other than easy gets frustrating with the limited amount of continues and lives you are given. The controls seem to be best suited for an arcade stick, not the Dreamcast analog stick. as well as there being only eight missions. All that aside if you are a Capcom fan and want to see some of your favorite characters in a different way this is a fun title.

Hopefully first impressions would give you the feeling of a game that’s been rushed out of the door, while it may not seem that CS is of standard quality, CS proves itself to be just a tad bit better then average.

It's important to know how to aim your shots and when to use your close attacks, but once you get comfortable with the controls, you'll have a good time. The graphics are terrific and there's no slow-down at all. The gameplay can get pretty repetitive though. Although the level order changes, each is pretty short, so you'll end up playing the same stages each time you play. I can certainly recommend Cannon Spike to the shooter fans out there.